Theme - We are in our Salad Day. [appropriately, in GREEN]. Lettuce continue down to the theme fill, each one indicated with an "*".
8. *Salute in ancient Rome: HAIL CAESAR. More or less "Long live the King!" maybe.
14. *Scary Halloween venue: HAUNTED HOUSE. A house or other building often perceived as being inhabited by disembodied spirits of the deceased who may have been former residents or were otherwise connected with the property. Or, as in this case, a more normal structure decorated to simulate one, for scary amusement.
21. *Vacation spot with horses: DUDE RANCH. A vacation resort offering activities (such as horseback riding) typical of western ranches.
Anybody remember these guys?
27. *Irish novelist who writes the "Dublin Murder Squad" series: TANA FRENCH. Somehow, I suspect the French [relating to France or its people or language] is not a common name in Ireland.
And the unifier: 19. Severe scolding, and what the answers to the starred clues literally have?: DRESSING DOWN. An acute verbal reprimand for some real or imagined wrong-doing.
What each of the indicated two-word answers have in common is that each of the second words indicated a type of salad DRESSING. CAESAR DRESSING is mayonnaise based, with anchovies, parmesan cheese, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and mustard. HOUSE DRESSING this time of year could mean Christmas decorations for the home, but, in the kitchen is probably some variation on an oil and vinegar combination. RANCH DRESSING, when it's not chaps, spurs and a cowboy hat, is a mixture of mayonnaise, sour cream, milk, lemon juice and a secret blend of herbs and spices. FRENCH DRESSING is a mixture of oil, vinegar, tomato puree and other flavorings.
Hi Gang, Jazzbumpa here to get things started. Note the gimmick in the theme. The unifier gives the clue that the theme fill will will be oriented in the down direction. With the salad now behind us, let's move on the the main course.
Across:
1. Gratuity: TIP. An extra payment made to a wait person or other service provider to supplement their normal wage.
4. Common London weather: FOG. A thick cloud of tiny water droplets suspended in the atmosphere at or near the earth's surface which obscures or restricts visibility (to a greater extent than mist; strictly, reducing visibility to below 1 km).
4. Common London weather: FOG. A thick cloud of tiny water droplets suspended in the atmosphere at or near the earth's surface which obscures or restricts visibility (to a greater extent than mist; strictly, reducing visibility to below 1 km).
7. __ moment: AHA. The instant one comes to a new revelation.
10. Feathery accessory: BOA. A long, thin decorative scarf or stole made of feathers or a similar material.
13. Burdened by debt: IN A HOLE. As defined.
15. Competed in a turkey trot: RAN. Participated in a walking or running even on Thanksgiving morning. These are ususally 5 or 10 kilometers.
16. Piercing tool that resembles a screwdriver: AWL. A small pointed tool used for piercing holes, especially in leather.
17. Musical set at the Kit Kat Klub: CABARET. Cabaret is an American musical with music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb, and a book by Joe Masteroff. It is based on the 1951 play I Am a Camera by John Van Druten, which in turn was based on the 1939 novel Goodbye to Berlin by Christopher Isherwood. Also, it is a 1972 American musical period drama film directed and choreographed by Bob Fosse from a screenplay by Jay Presson Allen, based on the stage musical of the same name
18. Way of thinking: MINDSET. The established set of attitudes held by someone.
20. Spared no expense: SPLURGED. Spent freely or extravagantly.
22. Border city on the Rio Grande: LAREDO. A city in the U.S. state of Texas and seat of Webb County, on the north bank of the Rio Grande in South Texas, across from Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Founded in 1755, Laredo grew from a village to the capital of the short-lived Republic of the Rio Grande to the largest inland port on the Mexican border. Laredo's economy is primarily based on international trade with Mexico, and as a major hub for three areas of transportation: land, rail, and air cargo.
23. Distinguishing feature of some languages: TONE. In tonal languages, pitch is a property of words, and the relative pitch is more important than the absolute pitch. For example, in Mandarin, the word "ma" can have four different meanings depending on its pitch.
24. __ shirt: MUSCLE. A close-fitting, sleeveless or short-sleeved shirt that is designed to accentuate the wearer's physique
26. Skin art, for short: TAT. Tattoo, for long - a form of body modification made by inserting tattoo ink, dyes, and/or pigments, either indelible or temporary, into the dermis layer of the skin to form a design.
28. Anti-narcotics org.: DEA. Drug Enforcement Agency
29. Barter: SWAP. Trade an item or items for another or others.
33. 2023 Academy Honorary Award recipient Bassett: ANGELA. Angela Evelyn Bassett [b. 1958] is an American actress. Known for her work in film and television since the 1980s, she has received various accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award and two Golden Globe Awards, as well as nominations for two Academy Awards.
36. WSW opposite: ENE. Directional indications, 45 degrees off of the compass's cardinal points
37. Goalie's success: SAVE. Stopping the launched missile from entering the goal in sports such as soccer and hockey.
38. British nobleman: LORD. A title given to a member of the peerage, a social class of nobles that includes dukes, marquesses, earls, viscounts, and barons
39. Big name in tiny candies: NERDS. Crunchy, neon-colored American candies that come in a variety of flavors and are known for their moon rock shape
41. Curling __: IRON. A tool used to change the arrangement of the hair using heat. There are three general kinds: curling irons, used to make the hair curl; straightening irons, commonly called straighteners or flat irons, used to straighten the hair; and crimping irons, used to create crimps of the desired size in the hair.
42. Four Corners state: UTAH. The Four Corners Monument marks the quadripoint in the Southwestern United States where the states of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah meet. It is the only point in the United States shared by four states, leading to the area being named the Four Corners region
43. "Sex Education" actor Butterfield: ASA. Asa Bopp Farr Butterfield [b. 1997] is an English actor. Beginning his career as a child actor, Butterfield first achieved recognition as the lead of the historical drama film The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas.
44. "Advancing the power of facts" journalism website: A P NEWS. The Associated Press is a not-for-profit news agency that supplies news to newspapers, radio, and television stations. It's known for its fast and reliable reporting, and is considered a trusted source of accurate information.
46. Office 34-Down: MEMO. A usually brief written message from one person or department in an organization, company, etc., to another
47. Fair-weather __: FAN. Someone who only actively supports a team or person when they are winning or performing well, losing interest when the team starts to struggle or face setbacks. In contrast are long suffering fans, like me, whose team [The Lions] has been mired in mediocrity or worse since 1957, now scarcely able to believe what they are seeing.
48. Rule, for short: REG. Regulation.
49. Lars of Metallica: ULRICH. Lars Ulrich R [b.1963] is a Danish musician who is the drummer and a founding member of American heavy metal band Metallica. Along with James Hetfield, Ulrich has songwriting credits on almost all of the band's songs, and the two of them are the only remaining original members of the band.
52. Throws in: ADDS. Speaks up in conversation, or contributes to an activity
55. Kind of paper in a gift bag: TISSUE. A thin gauzy paper used especially for protecting something (as by covering or wrapping.)
58. Long, relaxing baths: HOT SOAKS. Self evident.
61. Works a summer office job, perhaps: INTERNS. Said of a student or trainee who works, sometimes without pay, at a trade or occupation in order to gain work experience. Granddaughter Samantha has interned at Disney World and two local organizations in northern Michigan. She recently landed a sales job at the Great Wolf Lodge in Traverse City.
63. Scout who may sell cookies: BROWNIE. A member of the junior branch of the Girl Scouts, for girls aged between about 6 and 8.
64. Hotshot: ACE. One who is highly skilled in a particular endeavor.
65. Green prefix: ECO-. Not harmful to the environment.
66. ID checker at a nightclub: BOUNCER. A person employed by a nightclub or similar establishment to prevent troublemakers from entering or to eject them from the premises.
67. Tool with teeth: SAW. A hand tool for cutting wood or other materials, typically with a long, thin serrated steel blade and operated using a backward and forward movement.
68. Camera __: SHY. Unwilling to be photographed.
69. Casual affirmative: YUP. Un-huh.
70. Historic time: ERA. An important or outstanding period of history. Or something about Taylor Swift
Down:
1. Nervous twitches: TICS. An idiosyncratic and often non-voluntary and habitual feature of a person's behavior, or spasmidic muscle contraction.
2. Not fitting: INAPT. Inappropriate.
3. 2012 World Series MVP Sandoval: PABLO. Pablo Emilio Sandoval Reyes (b. 1986) is a Venezuelan-American professional baseball third baseman for the Staten Island FerryHawks of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Francisco Giants, Boston Red Sox and Atlanta Braves. Nicknamed "Kung Fu Panda", Sandoval is a two-time All-Star and has won three World Series championships with the Giants. He hit three home runs in Game 1 of the 2012 World Series, becoming the fourth player to hit three home runs in a World Series game, leading to his being named that year's World Series Most Valuable Player (MVP).
4. "You're not making this up?": FOR REAL?. Expression of surprise and/or disbelief.
5. Designer Cassini: OLEG. Oleg Cassini [1913 - 2006] was a fashion designer born to an aristocratic Russian family with maternal Italian ancestry. He came to the United States as a young man after starting as a designer in Rome, and quickly got work with Paramount Pictures. Cassini established his reputation by designing for films.
6. "Don't let the thieves escape!": GET 'EM. Capture those miscreants!
7. Cup holder locale, perhaps: ARM. As in a piece of furniture.
9. Record of the year?: ANNAL. Annals are a concise historical record in which events are arranged chronologically, year by year. Or, as indicated here, within a year.
10. Acid counterpart: BASE. A counterpart is a person or thing holding a position or performing a function that corresponds to that of another person or thing in another place. However, an acid and a base will neutralize each other. They are opposites.
11. Carried debt: OWED. Had a financial obligation to another person or entity.
12. Voice above tenor: ALTO. From the top down, they are soprano, also, tenor and bass.
25. Button that may submit an online form: SEND. It's function is transmit a message or document to a recipient.
30. Spy follower?: WARE. Spyware is software that enables a user to obtain covert information about another's computer activities by transmitting data covertly from their hard drive. I dislike this kind of self-referential clue.
31. Declare bluntly: AVOW. Assert or confess openly.
32. Pilot gear?: PENS. I guess this refers to PENS made by the Japanese company Pilot.
33. Grad: ALUM. One who graduated from a learning institution.
34. Short message: NOTE. Or MEMO, maybe?
35. Unit on a kitchen scale: GRAM. A metric unit of mass equal to one thousandth of a kilogram. 28.3485 grams equal 1 oz.
40. Actor Morales: ESAI. Esai Manuel Morales Jr. [b.1962] is an American actor. He has had notable roles in the films Bad Boys with Sean Penn and La Bamba with Lou Diamond Phillips.
45. Thick 4-Across metaphor: PEA SOUP. Because it is thick and opaque.
50. Tackle box supply: LURES. Artificial objects used to catch fish by attracting them with the appearance of prey
51. Solving crosswords, for some: HOBBY. An activity done regularly in one's leisure time for pleasure.
53. Destination after a promposal: DANCE. A prom is a formal dance for high school or college students.
54. Slalom competitor: SKIER. A slalom is a ski race down a winding course marked by flags or poles.
55. Aunts in la familia: TIAS. En Español.
56. Peru native: INCA. The Incas were an advanced civilization that ruled a large empire in the Andes Mountains of South America from approximately 1200 to 1533 AD.
57. Seethe: STEW. Cooking terms involving boiling or simmering liquids, also used to indicate intense anger.
59. Pants, in slang: TROU. Short for trousers.
60. Word sung twice after "Que" in a classic song: SERA. Whatever will be will be.
62. __ sauce: SOY. A sauce made with fermented soybeans, used in Chinese and Japanese cooking. I saw a quip recently, saying that it might just be sauce introducing itself in Spanish, since "Soy" in Spanish means "I am."
And so we end on that bit of silliness. Hope you enjoyed the meal and got through it without choking. What - no dessert? You know I would never desert you.
And thanks for all the Birthday wishes on Sunday. You guys are the best!
Cool regards and Happy Holidays!
JzB
